Looking for a cheap toad

[Tikvah]

The title say it... I don't want to spend much, but need a light-weight car with the hardware to tow behind my MCI.

I'll be at Arciada, if you have one to give away, I'm your man   

[RJ]

The title say it... I don't want to spend much, but need a light-weight car with the hardware to tow behind my MCI.

VW Golf or Jetta (TDI a plus), but only with a manual gearbox.

Saturns with an automatic can be flat towed.

Honda CR-Vs, either two- or four-wheel drive can also be flat towed with an automatic.

Just some of the more popular toads.

FWIW & HTH. . .

[wg4t50]

Have towed with good results;
VW Rabbit Diesel 4 speed
Ford Escort 5 speed
Honda Element auto
Ford F150 2 wheel drive with 5 speed Mazda gear box, Ford says no way, with over 10 k miles towing, I have zero issues.
Honda CRV auto
Liked the VW Rabbit the best, was happy to arrive and it still there, if it got lost
         would be OK as long as it did not hurt anyone. Kept the title in glove box.

[sledhead]

ford ranger 5 speed standard

changed trans , rear end oil to syn oil .

4 years no problems

dave

[Ed Hackenbruch]

 Older Jeep Cherokee's ..... seats 4 or 5, fold down rear seat for more cargo room, can tow 4 down even if it is a 4x4, less than 4000 lbs.  Lots of them around still and can be bought fairly cheaply.

[scanzel]

Jeep Cherokee Sport, just sold my 220,000 mile used one and bought a 2008 Jeep Liberty. Try Cherokee or a Liberty can still be towed 4 down. Grand Cherokee can be towed 4 down but must find one with the proper auto trans. Quadra Trak, must be able to put transfer case in neutral.

[muldoonman]

Don't know about older but flat towed my 2010 Ford Edge front wheel drive automatic trans, all over Texas. Wish I would have know you needed one. Just traded in with all Falcon hardware to Ford Dealership.

[Mex-Busnut]

VW Golf or Jetta (TDI a plus), but only with a manual gearbox.

We have a 2007 Jetta TDI, 1.9-liter engine, 5-speed standard tranny. (50 mpg or better on the highway!) Can it be towed 4 down without problems?

[Oonrahnjay]

We have a 2007 Jetta TDI, 1.9-liter engine, 5-speed standard tranny. (50 mpg or better on the highway!) Can it be towed 4 down without problems?   

     The '07 in Mexico is still the A4 body style for the Jetta, I think.  (In the US, the Jetta switched to the bigger, heavier, more complicated A5 body for the "2005 1/2 model year".)  If I'm right on that, then you have the same engine (ALH, if it's the 'distributed injection' Bosch fuel pump-equipped engine) and transmission that I have in my 2003 Jetta.  VW says not to tow that model with four wheels down because the lubrication for the transmission is supposed to be driven by the shaft coming in from the clutch -- when the transmission is in neutral, that shaft doesn't turn.  But a number of us HAVE towed manual transmission VW's (and the 5-speed is basically the same transmission as the 4-speed going way back to the 80's) for many miles* and I've never seen anyone report ill effects.  I think that due to the fact that the transmission is running "unloaded" when it's being towed in neutral and there's plenty of splash lubrication, there is enough lubrication in and throughout the transmission to make things OK.

(Note: to be absolutely clear, I personally have only towed mine a couple of thousand miles with no problems; others have reported towing many thousands of miles, no problems.)

     Hope this helps (and Merry Christmas - and Feliz etc. down there).   B  H    NC   USA

[chessie4905]

  I tow this: cheap, 4wd, auto, compact, and relatively light weight. It has a hardtop and I added lockout front hubs. I'm planning a trip to Alaska in two years and wanted something I could use there to run around on lesser roads and a small vehicle for towing. With the 4wd low range, I'll be able to tow the coach out of any soggy fields also....

http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/Spec_Glance.aspx?year=2003&make=Suzuki&model=Vitara

There! forgot to add it when I originally posted.

[B_K]

  I tow this: cheap, 4wd, auto, compact, and relatively light weight. It has a hardtop and I added lockout front hubs. I'm planning a trip to Alaska in two years and wanted something I could use there to run around on lesser roads and a small vehicle for towing. With the 4wd low range, I'll be able to tow the coach out of any soggy fields also....

What is it? (too small to see!)
  BK 

[Lin]

Chessie, What's a this? I didn't see a picture.

We tow a 99 Cherokee.  There are lighter vehicles, but it is nice to have a solid 4x4 automatic when we get there.  Ours was bought used 4-5 years back for about $2500.  It is now just about ready to cross the 200,000 mark.  Apparently, the 4.0 engine has a reputation for more mileage than that.  It is not great on gas though.

[challenger440]

I had a this, then I traded it for a that.  I don't like the that as well as my this.  So if you have a choice between this and that, take the this.  John M

[Tikvah]

thanks John, I hadn't thought of That.


anyone tow a VW beetle manual?  the modern kind, not the air cooled.

[chessie4905]

   I have a 2003 TDI Jetta, but won't tow it because it doesn't have sufficient ground clearance. There are several reports on the web of taking out the oil pan from some larger debris. It won't straddle a medium dead groundhog.